Project EXCITE is a program for minority students that supplements the regular school offerings with an emphasis on enhancing students' interest and performance in math and science. This study examines the experience and perceptions of 14 student participants in the program and their parents. In student and parent interviews, Project EXCITE was deemed fun and challenging and as enabling the students to enrich and improve academic performance. A desire for placement in advanced academic settings and better preparation for schoolwork in high school motivated the students to persist in the program for 6 years. The perceptions of expanded social networks with high ability minority peers, enhanced social support for high achievement, and confidence to successfully compete academically with peers were other positive outcomes. Negative peer pressure was not identified as a concern, but balancing academic work and social interaction with peers outside the program was a major concern for students.
Putting the Research to Use: There is a growing demand for programs and initiatives to achieve the goal of reducing or eliminating the achievement differences between high-potential White or Asian students and high- potential African-American or Hispanic students. Designing effective programs requires attention to and understanding of not only the cognitive variables involved, but also the affective variables. Studying the feelings and perceptions of Project EXCITE students who invested over 400 hours of their time over a six-year period by attending out-of-school classes and studying the feelings and perceptions of their parents offer a new look at some key affective variables that impact the achievement gap. Variables such as a student's sense of belonging, self-confidence, and social network, as well as parental aspirations, must be considered in the design of any program that intends to close the achievement gap.
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